Ember || B.E

14|| a fever dream

"Ember, wake up!"

"Get out," I huffed, head still fuzzy from the delightful deep sleep I was just in.

"Your sister is sick. I need you to stay home and watch her. I am going to be late for work. You better get up this sec-"

"God damn, okay okay, I'm up," I rolled my eyes open, lazily sitting up while running my hands over my face.

"Keep her home. I've given her some medicine. Make her the soup on the counter for lunch. You both better be home when I get back or else-"

"Calm your tits mother. I can take care of her." Could this woman get any more unbearable, barking orders at me two seconds after waking me up?

"Excuse me?" Her face turned to one of shock and horror before her shoulders slumped and she must have decided the argument wasn't worth her time as she walked out of my room, leaving the door wide open behind herself.

"Good morning to you to," I muttered to myself, sliding out from under the warm covers.

I made my way into Elodies room after brushing my hair and teeth. She was curled up under her covers, a cough escaping her lungs as I walked into her room. The poor girls nightstand was filled with kleenex, cough drops and water bottles.

"How you feeling?" I questioned the obvious, sitting at the edge of her bed.

"Not good," she frowned with tired eyes.

"You wanna watch something? It might make you feel better?"

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "C-can we watch the Billie documentary?" She asked through sniffles.

"What have I done?" I muttered to myself however a smile crept up on my lips. "Of course we can. You get it ready and I'll go grab you some juice, okay?"

"Okay!"

~~~

Not even halfway through the documentary and I felt my eyes begin to gloss over. It's silly but I just can't believe that I am now friends...Is friends the right word? Acquaintances? Talking. I can't believe that I am now talking with Billie. Talking with her on a daily basis, for a little over a month. It's ridiculous. When I first watched this documentary every inch of me yearned to just have a conversation with her. One fucking conversation. I would have done anything for one conversation with her.

"Elodie, I have to tell you something," I hit pause on the remote.

"Okay?"

"So, Billie and me have been talking," my voice is low and I bite the inside of my cheek immediately after the words leave my mouth.

"Yeah, in your dreams," she chuckled, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit which made me frown.

"No Elodie, I'm serious! I wouldn't believe me either but I've actually met her a few times."

Elodie looked at me like I was crazy. Like I had just taken a whole lot of shrooms and was most definitely hallucinating.

She reached up her hand to feel my forehead as if to check if I have a fever. "Ember, you're crazy," she shook her head with a small smile.

"I'm aware but I'm also telling you the truth."

"Yeah okay," she rolled her red sleepy eyes. "Where's the proof?"

"Here," I pulled out my phone, opening the texts between Billie and me.

I'm not sure why I am determined to prove this to Elodie. Maybe it's because having some genuinely nice human interaction is fulfilling. Maybe it's because I haven't had anyone to tell and the excitement of it all has been bubbling inside of me wanting to burst.